NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Contact with small pet turtles
was to blame for 103 Salmonella infections that occurred in 33
states between May and December 2007, according to federal
health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Atlanta.

Salmonella infections can be severe, leading to
hospitalization and, in some cases, death, the CDC notes in the
current issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Turtles and other reptiles are well-known reservoirs for
Salmonella and while the sale and distribution of small turtles
-- measuring less than 4 inches -- was officially outlawed in
the U.S. in 1975, cases of turtle-associated Salmonella
infection continue to occur. "Small turtles remain available to
the public from various sources, including pet shops, flea
markets, street vendors, and Internet web sites," the CDC
notes.

Roughly half of the Salmonella infections documented in the
2007 outbreak occurred in young children, who are at greater
risk for severe illness from Salmonella infection. Most of
those infected reported exposure to turtles within 7 days of
becoming sick with symptoms such as bloody diarrhea, abdominal
cramps, fever and vomiting. No deaths were reported.

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The CDC's investigation into the outbreak also revealed
that in a subset of 60 infected individuals interviewed, only
one fifth were aware of the link between Salmonella infection
and contact with reptiles, "indicating that measures to educate
the public about this link have not been successful," the
researchers acknowledge.

According to the CDC, direct or indirect contact with
reptiles causes an estimated 6 percent of all human Salmonella
infections in the U.S. People who come in contact with
reptiles, reptile habitats, or surfaces contaminated with
reptile feces need to remember that they risk Salmonella
infection, CDC officials caution.